


Better Than Magic

by Firelight_and_Rain



Category: Pillars of Eternity
Genre: Ballroom Dancing, F/F, Other, Polyamory, Pre-Relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-08-06
Updated: 2017-08-06
Packaged: 2018-12-11 18:20:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,461
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11719899
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Firelight_and_Rain/pseuds/Firelight_and_Rain
Summary: Pallegina and the Lord of Caed Nua once again break propriety on one enchanted evening, helped along by a helpful and fantabulous friend.





	Better Than Magic

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Chaosite](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Chaosite/gifts).



> Warnings for: some mentions of homophobia, transphobia and classism as well as some blink-and-you'll-miss-it references to ableism and, in one scene, Durance's general existence.
> 
> I like to think it's a fairly happy and fluffy story for all that.

“So,” Vicent Agosti said, faux-innocent. “That Lord you travel with. Ze surely has zir own militia by now, doesn’t ze?”

“Yes,” Pallegina said. “It’s very loyal, although not very large. Why?”

“I’m sure that ze appreciates your help - does ze not have a general or quartermaster?”

“Ze has both, when ze needs them. If you need me here, you have but to ask. Yet. I do not appreciate the thought that you might be jealous, after I do so much for my country.”

The Ambassador looked up from his table and sighed. “Pallegina, I don’t doubt your loyalty or your passion, I never have. But I have to wonder what this strange Lord wants with you. Ze’s finished zir investigation into the Hollowborn, obviously, so I would have expected zir to come by only scarcely. But ze’s barely given you a month off! Do you know why?”

Pallegina thought she knew why. She hadn’t decided what she thought of it herself yet, and she found that she didn’t want to vocalize it. Even if [the Ambassador] didn’t feel the need to intervene on her behalf - for all of their bickering, he often showed a paternal sort of concern for her - Pallegina thought she liked keeping this secret, this soft uncertain thing in the midst of the stately metal marble world of nations and gods.

“I think ze is fond of me,” Pallegina said dryly. “It is also possible that ze wants a more professional, cultured influence than most of our Dyrwoodan associates. For all zir poise and success, ze hasn’t often been in the inner circle of nobles.”

“Yes, we all know that well enough after the Glanfathan incident.” After a pause, Vicent continued with, “I - think ze is fond of you, too. However, you must remember that ze is now the head of a new noble household, and ze is Aedyran, from a people used to the many duties of the gentry -”

“What are you getting at?” Pallegina asked, looking over a long missive from the Brotherhood that she picked up from the desk without really reading it.

“Ze will likely look to marry. A man, and a nobleman at that.”

Pallegina exhaled rudely through her nose. “Certainly that might be expected. But I doubt it. Lord Kadri has a certain - disdain for the affections of men.”

The Ambassador gestured helplessly with one hand. “Maybe. Maybe. But our priorities change as we get older. I just don’t think that you should stake your heart on zir remaining as idealistic as you are, my friend.”

“The only thing I’ve tied my heart to is the Republics.”

Vicent looked sad. “Anyway, none of this should be of political import, but Lord Tyrhine occupies an interesting political space in the Dyrwood at the moment. I trust that, while ze has your candor, we also have your pride. Ze isn’t Dyrwoodan - let’s hope zir current affections bode well for a cosmopolitan political bent.”

*

“You’re never gone for very long, are you?” It took Maneha an unnervingly long moment to locate the ugly man sitting at one of the tables in the throne room, carving at a pale block of wood.

“And we can never quite tell when you’re going to darken the gracious Lord’s doorstep. Ran out of heretics to burn?”

Durance snorted. “Hardly, but even after razing the old field Kadri isn’t much fond of the fires of true reformation. But you’re here more often.”

“True, true, and you’re surprised at this because I actually have any other friends.”

Durance looked at her from under his dark eyebrows. “Many other friends.”

Maneha elected to ignore that. “So where is Kadri?”

“Hosting some sort of dance in Brighthollow. Lots of dandies. Kadri is performing like the courtesan ze is. Of course, ze could take all of them at once without breaking a sweat - not one man worthy of zir in the whole keep.”

“Well, that’s disappointing,” Maneha said, already turning on her heel. She considered whether she wanted to change out of her dusty tunic and pants. She wondered what else she had to wear; she realized that, with the party, there wasn’t really any security worth speaking of on the Lord’s grounds.

Couldn’t let Kadri get too bored with court life.

*

“Have you thought of bringing your family over to the Dyrwood?” the young man asked.

“No, they’re far too important to ever leave Aedyr,” Eder said as he waltzed past in the arms of some noblewoman.

Kadri huffed a laugh and kept looking over his shoulder. He was a nice enough young man, a Dyrwoodan aristocrat, with plain features and pretty eyes. Kadri was painfully bored.

“Is this true?” he asked.

“They have their own concerns at the moment,” Kadri said. Ze stopped - although ze was much smaller than zir dance partner, he only drug zir along half a step before realizing that ze’d stopped and stopping himself.

Ze was staring at - well, ze had zir face pointed towards a cluster of brightly dressed Vailians who’d entered the hall. After a moment ze squared zirself back to face the young nobleman. “If you’ll excuse me, I must go speak with a friend.” Letting go of his hands, ze strode with long strides away from the other dancers towards the Vailians.

The nobleman stared after zir with a generally baffled mien.

Eder gave him an amused, commiserating look before returning his attention to his own partner, a much better dancer than him, who had the grace to tow his earnest attempts along after her.

*

“Sir mes Rei,” Kadri said, a little breathless, a purplish flush on zir bosom and cheeks and upper arms.

It was hard not to notice Kadri’s plush fog-grey bosom, pressed up towards zir collarbones. Pallegina mentally insisted that she could not be blamed for noticing her friend’s bosom.

“Lord Tyrhine,” she replied, inclining her head slightly. “This is a lovely party.”

“And lovelier yet,” Kadri murmured. “Please, sir, call me Kadri.”

“And I suppose you may as well call me Pallegina.”

Kadri smiled widely at her, daintily arrow-shaped canines just visible between zir parted lips, and turned to Agosti. “Ambassador,” ze said. “I’m delighted to see you here. I didn’t expect Brighthollow to be quite so current enough to attract the Embassy’s attention.”

The Ambassador smiled indulgently at the little Deathlike Lord. For all zir current fame, for being touched by Berath and for zir mercurial intensity, among folk it was very hard to overlook just how small Kadri Tyrhine was. Not absurdly so, but it still gave zir a certain doll-like quality, especially in zir fine embroidered jacket, blouse and trousers.

“I’m flattered that you think so highly of our fashion, but I for one wouldn’t be caught dead missing the event of the most dashing and knowledgeable noble among the Dyrwoodan gentry.”

Kadri looked past his shoulder at the dozen-strong group of Vailians behind him, already chatting amongst themselves and starting to dissipate out into the crowd like fine colorful ink on a damp page. Zir exuberant smile faded back into zir customary pale half-mask. “And the most eligible?”

Agosti chuckled again, politely. “Maybe. If nothing else, Lord, I hope you won’t be offended by our attempt to make the search more interesting.”

The tiny white carnassial daggers reappeared, although the visible skin of Kadri’s face still looked stiff and still and pale, no longer uncharacteristically animated. “Not at all! No offense to my dear adoptive country, but when our equally dear Mayor Teycleg can provide the most riveting anecdotes in the room, well, I may yet be ready to socialize.”

“I’m glad to hear it,” the Ambassador said. He looked at Pallegina.

No one in the room could tell where exactly Kadri was looking, but zir voice when ze next spoke seemed directed at Pallegina. “This might be the first time that a room full of people have an interest in a Deathlike half-man, hm?” Kadri’s intonation rarely varied with zir situation, except when ze was very tired and almost alone - otherwise, it was like this, high, smooth, fast and bright, a little tense, a little sing-song and a little flat. Only a little. Pallegina still thought that ze sounded upset, the echo of old pain tagging along at the end of zir sentences, lifting them up like stale air under letters about to skitter away out of the candlelight.

“Ach. Men are easily distracted, even Vailian men. I have feathers, you have hips.”

The Ambassador looked scandalized, but the side of Kadri’s lips quirked up towards Pallegina. “I suppose.”

“Might I have this dance?” Vicent asked Kadri.

Kadri looked up at him. “Of course.”

*

Pallegina had extricated herself from various offers to dance, and was hovering by the kitchen, sampling some hard cider that Eder had recommended. It was pretty good.

There was a growing silence from the door. She looked at it and considered setting her cider down. She decided against it; this crowd was not defenseless, no matter that it might just look it.

“Lady mes Rei!” the shout from across the room was familiar, and jovial. Pallegina startled, sloshing some of the hot cider over the edge of the mug and onto her fingers. She wished she’d set the mug down, but it was too late now. Maneha was headed directly for her.

Pallegina quickly forgot about her cIder. Brighthollow was living up to its name; full of light spilling down from the chandeliers, leaping up from the fountain and lovingly illuminating the dandies and the ladies and the persons otherwise, the crushed emerald velvet of Kadri’s long jacket deepening into the shadow under a mossy rock, zir silver and violet adornments glowing like fireflies.

Maneha outshone it all.

Pallegina hadn’t the slightest idea where she’d got the elaborate robe from, but thought that she must have stashed it somewhere on Caed Nua’s grounds. And it was the sort of elaborate that Maneha wouldn’t have been able to commission on short notice. The silver silk shimmered and flashed like a summer waterfall. Pallegina’s inner eyelids closed instinctively.

At a loss for anything else to say, she just said, “Yes? She is here.”

Maneha smiled widely at her. “Hello, sir mes Rei.”

Pallegina looked from side to side dramatically. “Lord Tyrhine is somewhere … Over there, I think.”

“Oh, I’m sure that I could find zir in short notice -”

“Well, ze certainly knows where you are, now.”

“I should hope so! But I came over here to talk to you, obviously.” She extended one large hand, webbed with pale silver and opals, to Pallegina.

Pallegina stared at it. She didn’t know where Kadri or Vicent was, and everyone around them was pretending, not very successfully, not to stare or even look at them. She turned back to the kitchen. Maneha smiled wryly and started to turn away.

“Wait,” Pallegina said. Maneha froze and turned to look at her with wide-eyed delight. “I’m just setting this-” she bounced her cider just a little bit, “down.”

Maneha reached out. “Let me.”

Confused, Pallegina handed over the cider. Maneha downed it in one long, gurgling drink and wiped her hand over her mouth. Then she stared at the empty mug in consternation. Pallegina stared at her - at first she tried to strangle her smirk, but eventually it broke free and she gave up, even looking into Maneha’s dark eyes. They danced with her own repressed laughter. Pallegina broke into audible laughter herself, and then pressed her fist to her sternum while getting ahold of herself.

“Here,” Maneha managed, handing her back the mug. Pallegina ducked just far enough into the kitchen to put the mug on a counter.

When she pivoted back out, Maneha gripped her hands and they quick-stepped into the dance floor. Maneha felt overwhelmed; she felt like she was standing on the shore, like she had when she’d seen the flashing steel and proud shoulders of the Brotherhood for the first time, like on the cusp of an aria. Although the metal on Maneha’s hands was cool, Pallegina felt as light and expansive as fire.

*

“Hey, Wa - Kadri. Look over there.”

Kadri had paused in zir near-constant dancing to play with the falling water of the fountain, making it dance itself in ribbons and droplets. After a moment ze looked, not over there, but at Eder. “What?”

Eder jerked his head towards the center of the hall. Kadri followed the motion. Then ze turned all the way, inhaling loudly.

“I know,” Eder’s dance partner said, disparagingly. “The nerve! I know you’re dedicated to bringing some culture to your hold, Tyrhine dear, but that’s just - gauche.”

Kadri couldn’t argue that it wasn’t gauche. Kadri knew that Pallegina was a good dancer, and while ze’d never seen Maneha dance before, ze wouldn’t have expected this. They began by following the patterns of a stately ballroom dance. They danced slowly, and Pallegina danced stiffly, and Maneha would sometimes change the moves. But they danced. And they were careful and focused on each other, and didn’t care about the other people around them.

Kadri pressed zir hands to zir chest and sighed admiringly. Ze almost didn’t notice Agosti's approach. Ze caught it in time, though, before Eder had to point him out to zir.

“Lord Tyrhine!” The Ambassador looked flustered. Regretfully, ze turned zir attention to him.

“Yes?”

Vicent looked at the dancing women and sighed hard in disappointment. “While I can’t offer this dance, might I ask for a dance?”

*

They’d spent a quiet moment hovering next to the fountain after their dancing. Pallegina had let Maneha hold the tips of her fingers. Maneha turned away from the fountain; Pallegina listened but continued to watch the placid surface of the fountain.

“Here, I think it’s time to show off a little more.” Maneha tugged on her hand. Pallegina followed her - she thought that they were going to dance again.

She stopped along with Maneha among the inner ring of people watching Vicent and Kadri dance. They danced elegantly, but Pallegina still got the sensation that fewer people were watching than had watched her and Maneha.

The song waned, individual strings echoing over the room. Maneha let go of Pallegina’s hand and, to Pallegina’s surprise, set her hand to Pallegina’s left shoulder. “Go on. We have to make it up to Kadri for upstaging zir.”

Pallegina stumbled forward. It made sense, of course, and before she could reconsider her situation - here, in front of everyone - Kadri stepped forward and grabbed her hands. She didn’t want to let go.

A Vailian song washed over the room. Kadri turned out to be very familiar with it.

“Did you spend much time dancing, as a child?” Pallegina asked quietly.

Kadri’s teeth gleamed white. “It's always been better than magic, to me.”

**Author's Note:**

> I also didn't find a scene to really fit this into but -
> 
> Vicent is actually pretty happy with how the evening turned out and is watching his adoptive niece and her suitor dance at the end with a satisfied little smile. At least, when he can focus on anything other than keeping up with Maneha.


End file.
